Joint or connecter for roofing sheets



July 5, 1932. J. M. CARTER JOINT OR CONNECTER FOR ROOFING SHEETS FiledNov. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 5, 1932. J. M. CARTER JOINT ORCONNECTER FOR ROOFING SHEETS Filed Nov. 29, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July-5, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN I. CARTER, OI ORLANDO, FLORIDA:onn' OB- CONNEUIEB I03 ROOFING SHEETS Application filed llovember a,mo. mm Io.

This invention relates to sheet metal building construction andparticularly to means for joining or connecting the edges of metalsheets, particularly of corrugated roofing. The eneral object of thisinvention is to provide a joint or connecter between the edges of twometal sheets of corru ated roofing of such character that the 'omt willbe water-proof and that it will e iminate the waste caused b lapping.

A further ob ect is to provide a connection whichwill prevent snow orrain from blowing under the roofing along the lap.

A further object is to save time and labor in forming the corru atedroof and provide a connecter which wi aid or guide the workman inkeeping the joints in straight lines, thus adding to the appearance ofthe roof or siding.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a top plan view of a plurality of roofing sheets or connectingelements or 'omts engaged therewith in accordance wit my invention; 1

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fi re 1;

igure 3 is a like view to Figure 2 but showing a variation in the crosssection;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the two sections or connecterstelescoped;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fi re 4;

Figure 6-is a transverse section through a connecter showing one meanswhereby it may be connected to a metal purlin;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of 2, A and B are two corrugatedsheets 0 metal such as are ordinarily used for roofing or siding. Suchsheets as this are usually overlapped at the joint for about 1%corrugations. Such a joint as this is not completely water-proof andwater might pass along said joint by capilla attraction and so thatwater will penetrate eneath the roof. Furthermore, this overlapping ofthe sheets is wasteful. To avoid this, I provide a connecter or (.jiointdesignated generally 10 having a me ally disposed, approximatelycirenlarged head 17. The head 11 is then sli cular head 11. This bead isnearl closed at 12. The metal on each side of t 's head is earnedlaterally from the contracted portion 12 outward in opposite directionsas at 13 and then extended upward, downward and inward as at 14 so as toform what ma be termed lateral beads. The side edges 0 the sheets A andB are forced down over these lateral beads and underneath the medialbead 11 so that the edges of the sheets A and B will en 'age the medialbead at the neck 12.

f course, the upper edge of each sheet A or Bis disposed beneath theoverlap of an upper sheet and the lower edge of each sheet A or B isoverlapped upon the sheet below. As illustrated in Figure 1, the joint10 at its endshas extensions 15 forming the extensions of the flatportions 13 of the lateral head which are apertured for the passage ofnails where this device is to be applied upon a wooden building. Thesejointor connecting members 10 are designed to have an desired standardlength to corres 0nd wit the lengths of the metal sheets. has thesejoint or connecting members may have lengths of four, five, six, seven,eight, nine and twelve feet.

Where it is necessary to join one connecter 10 with an adjacentconnecter, two connect- 'ers are telescoped into each other asillustrated in Figure 4. In this case, the head 11 of one connecterreceives within it the bead 11 of the next connecter below, butpreferably the lateral beads of the upper connecter will be inserted inthe lateral beads of the lower connecter. This is illustrated in Figure4. Where this connecter or joint is to be used on frame buildings, it isformed, as before stated, with the outwardly projecting lugs 15 by whichit may be nailed to the sheathlng of the building or to the joists.Where this connecter is to be used on a metal frame buildin two bolts 16are disposed, one on each si e of the purlin or other structuralelement, each of these bolts having as on to these bolts so that theshank o the bolt extends through the neck 12 and the head of the bolt isdi osed within the bead 11. Thus these bolts old the connecter in place.Obviously the bolts may be connected to the metal framing of thebuilding in any desired manner, provided the heads of the bolts are soformed as to fit'within the bead 11.

While I have illustrated in Figure 2 a con necter 10 which is formedwith an approximatel circular bead 11 and with somewhat ellipticallateral beads, I do not wish to be limited to this. In Figure 3, I showa con necter designated 10 which is exactly like the connecter 10 exceptthat the lateral beads are approximately triangular in cross sectioninstead of being approximately ovoid in cross section.

In Figure 6, I illustrate a connecter 10 in which the medial bead 11" isapproximate 1y triangular in cross section. lit will thus be seen thatthe exact form of the connecter in cross section may be varied widelywithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

The connecter constructed in accordance with my invention not only makesa waterproof joint between two adjacent sheets and eliminates the wastecaused by overlapping of the sheets, but such a joint aids or guides theroofer in keeping the joints in a straight line, thus adding verygreatly to the appearance of the roof or siding. The joint illustratedwill hold the edges of the corrugated sheets in proper position at alltimes and the lateral bead constitutes ducts whereby any water which mayenter the joint will be carried downward and be discharged at the eaveswith no chance of the water entering the joint and collecting betweenthe sheets and the sheathing of the roof.

lit is very essential that the connecter 10 or 10 shall have a flat basewith means to fasten the connecter securely to the sheathing boards toprevent the connecter from being turned up on either edge by windgetting under the roofing sheets and thus lifting one head or lateralchannel higher than the other, causing an overflow of water. It is alsoparticularly necessary that the margins of the lateral beads be extendeddownward and inward so as to secure a good contact withthe downwardlyand inwardly extending margins of the lateral sheets, as shown mostclearly in Figures 2 and 3, themar ins of the sheets A and B beingextended ownward and inward, preventing water being blown out of thechannel durin a heavy rain and wind storm, which pro uces whirlingmotion in the channels. The margins of the beads being extended inwardand downward forces water back toward the neck of the connecter and outat the ends. If the margins of the lateral beads terminatedperpendicularly against the roofing sheets or the margins of thhelateral beads do not extend downward and inward and conform to thelateral margins of the roofing sheets, a whirling motion aeeae'm of thewater in the channels forces water upward and outward between the marginand the roofing sheets, thus causing the water to go inside of thebuilding instead of out through the channels.

A further object in extending the lateral margins of the beads inwardand downward is to close the openings at the tops of the channels, whichprevents the channels getting clogged. The margins of the roofing sheetsbeing extended inward over the tops of the lateral beads holds theroofing sheets securely and forces upward on the edges of the roofingsheets, forcing them against the bottom of the central head. Thepressure is uniform for the entire length of the roofing sheet andprevents rattling.

While I have illustrated my joint as applied toa corrugated metal roofor siding, I do not wish to be limited to this as fiat sheets might beused in place of corrugated sheets provided the lateral edges of thesheets are upwardly and then downwardly bent so as to extend down overthe lateral beads of the joint and into position on each side of themetal bead of the oint.

ll claim 1. A connecter for roofing sheets formed to provide a medialupstanding bead and two integral lateral beads extending laterally inopposite directions from the base of the medial bead and having upwardlyand then inwardly turned marginal portions.

2. A joint'or connecter for roofing sheets formed of a single strip ofsheet metal, the strip being bent to form a medial upstanding head, themetal on each side of the neck of the bead being laterally extended torest upon the sheathing of the building, then upwardly, inwardly anddownwardly extended to form lateral heads.

3. The combination with parallel corrugated sheets of metal, of aconnecter formed of a stri of metal bent to form a medial upstandingbead, the metal at the neck of said bead being laterally bent inopposite directions to lie against the building s eathing and thenextended upward, inward and downward to ward said neck, the mar 'ns ofthe corrugated sheets being inserted etween said lateral beads and themedial bead with the edges approximating the neck of the medial bead andthe material outward of said edges bearing against the upper faces ofthe lateral beads.

4. In a building, a building element, covering sheets therefor, aconnecter between said covering sheets formed to provide a medialportion and lateral heads, the medial upstanding portion overhanging thelateral beads and having a contracted neck, the adjacent margins of thesheets being inserted between the medial portion and lateral beads andbearin against the upper faces of the lateral bea and bolts engagingwith said building element and having eads disposed within the medialportion, the shanks of the bolts extending through the neck at the junction of the medial portion with the lateral beads.

5. The combination with parallel corrugated sheets of metal, of aconnecter formed of a strip of metal bent to form a medial upstandingportion having a neck, the metal at the neck of said medial portionbeing laterally bent in opposite directlons to lie against the buildingsheathin and then extended upward, inward an downward toward said neck,the margins of the corrugated sheets being inserted between said lateralbeads and the medial portion with the edges approximating the neck ofthe medial bead, the strip being formed to provide longitudinallyextending lugs whereby it may be attached to the sheathing of thebuilding.

6. A joint or connecter for roofing sheets formed to provide a medialupstanding portion having a contracted neck and two integral and lateralbeads having approximately flat lower surfaces extendinglaterallyfromthe neck to lie against the sheathing of the building, thenextending upward, inward and downward toward the neck of the medialportion.

7. Thecombination with two roofing sheets havin their adjacent marginsupwar ly and then ownwardly curved, of a connecter for forming a jointbetween the two sheets comprising a strip of metal formed to provide amedial upstanding portion having a contracted neck, the metal at theneck of said medial portion being extended laterally and then exendingupwardly, inwardly and downwardly to form lateral heads, the margins ofthe metal sheets being inserted between the medial portion and thelateral beads and bearing against the upper surfaces of the lateralbeads and at their inner edges bearing against the under surface of themedial portion.

8. In combination with roofing or siding sheets having their adjacentends upwardly and then downwardly curved, of a plurality of connecters,each connecter being formed of a strip of metal formed to provide amedial upstanding portion havin a constricted neck, the metal on eachside of t e neck being laterally extended and then extended upward,inward and downward, the curved margins of the sheets being disposedover the lateral beads so formed and inserted in the lateral beads and'the under surface of the medial portion, successive connecters havingtheir medial portions and lateral beads telescoped. In testimony whereofI hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN M. CARTER.

